Senate gives first-round approval to 10-year teacher tenure

Senate gives first-round approval to 10-year teacher tenure

A final vote still must be taken on Sen. Jane Cunningham's bill that also ends the current state requirement that public school districts lay-off their most-recently hired teachers first.

Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, originally introduced a bill to eliminate tenure, a law that protects teachers from being terminated without a hearing, even though Missouri law generally allows employers to dismiss employees "at will" - for any reason, or for no reason at all.

If the Senate gives final approval to the bill, it still must be debated in the House.